John Marsden, Sr.

John R. Marsden, Sr. went to his eternal home on Friday, October 22, 2021 after a brief illness. He will be missed by all that knew him.

John was born on February 5, 1935, in Pittsburgh, PA to the late John B. (Jack) Marsden and Jeanne Marsden – Foley.

 He is survived by a sister, Janet E. Snyder of Lucinda, PA. 

John was preceded in death by a second sister, Cynthia M. Doubt. 

John is survived by his son, John R. Marsden, Jr. (Maggie) of Erie and their children: Ryan Marsden of Pittsburgh, and Sean and Rachel Marsden of Erie;  son Michael E. Marsden of Erie, his fiancée Marie Heberlein and Michael’s daughters:  Jessica Marsden and Samantha Goodfellow (Ryan) of Erie; a daughter, Kelly L. Marsden (Allen Sinsheimer) of London, England and their children: Natalie and Jacob Sinsheimer; and daughter, Wendy S. Marsden of Erie and her sons, Sullivan and Collin Johnson of Erie. 

In addition, John’s life was blessed for 25 years by his more than significant other, Barbara F. Alward of Erie. Barbara’s (Barb) role in John’s life goes beyond words. Her friendship and compassion enriched John’s life in many ways.

 John graduated from Strong Vincent High School in 1955. After graduating from Slippery Rock State College in 1959 with a degree in Health & Biological Science, John served in the US Army for two years. After his military service, John began a teaching career at schools in Pittsburgh and Indiana, PA. John returned to Erie in 1965 to teach Chemistry and Microbiology at Villa Maria College until 1968. 

In 1968, John began a long career as Director of the Erie Laboratory for the PA Department of Environmental Resources. The Erie Lab was a regional analytical laboratory responsible for water and wastewater quality. In addition to water quality control, John worked with several governmental agencies and as a consultant in legal proceedings. John had numerous professional affiliations and was awarded a National Science Foundation Grant. 

John’s interests included golf, handball at the YMCA, gardening & landscaping, home improvement projects, automotive tinkering, coin collecting, Presque Isle State Park and his Pittsburgh Steelers. John enjoyed attending his children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events and particularly enjoyed ball games. John was Commissioner of Boy’s Baseball in Erie for 12 years. John was also a lifelong member of The First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant.

A private visitation will be held Tuesday, October 26^th at The First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant @ 11:00 a.m. followed by a Celebration of Life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be forwarded to the Burton Funeral Home for a memorial fund to be established in John’s memory.

Go home to your God John, and know you will be missed by all that loved you.

Send condolences at www.BurtonQuinnScott.com.